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Slow Cooker Christmas Ham Recipe is a great way to cook your holiday ham with a delicious brown sugar glaze.
Being a mom of 8, I always host our holiday meal. Slow Cooking Christmas ham saves me time and oven space because the slow cooker does all the work. The ham comes out juicy and full of flavor.
The simple ingredient brown sugar glaze take your spiral ham to the next level. Add your favorite Side Dish Recipes, for a delicious and complete holiday meal. Other holiday ham recipes you must try is Crock Pot Spiral Ham or Honey Baked Ham.
Table of Contents
What Kind of Ham Works Best:
This recipe works great with any type of ham. The hams that you buy at the grocery stores are fully cooked ham but make sure to read the label. We have made this recipe with boneless ham, bone-in ham and a smoked ham.
Our favorite crockpot ham is the Spiral Ham because of the flavor and how juicy it cooks and how tender it is. Not only do I make this ham for Christmas, but I have even made it for Thanksgiving and our Easter Dinner.
Ingredients:
- Spiral Cut Ham (8-10 pounds, fully cooked)
- Fresh Rosemary Sprigs
For the Glaze:
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Honey
- Dijon Mustard
- Ground Cinnamon
- Ground Cloves
- Minced Garlic
For the full list of ingredients and recipe, scroll to the bottom to see the recipe card.
Variations Ideas:
- Glaze – Feel free to change the ingredients for the sweet glaze to what you prefer. Substitute the honey for maple syrup, add in pineapple juice or apple cider for amazing flavor.
Step by Step Instructions:
Step 1 – Mix together all the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan. Whisk together and heat on low heat until the sugar is fully dissolved (whisking constantly).
Step 2 – Unwrap the ham and discard any glaze packets that came with the ham. Place the ham flat side down in a slow cooker. Pour the glaze over the top.
Step 3 – Then use a basting brush to make sure that the glaze gets in between the layers of the ham in the crock pot.
Step 4 – Add the Rosemary springs to the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Baste the ham from any juice that cooked down to the bottom of the crock pot. Remove ham from crock pot, slice and serve.
Recipe Tips:
- Covering Ham – If you are unable to close the lid on your slow cooker, cover the top with foil then put lid on top.
- Glaze – Before pouring the glaze over the top of the ham, we recommend heating in a sauce pan. This allows the glaze to combine thoroughly.
- Basting Ham – To keep the ham from drying out, we recommend basting ham with the liquid throughout the cooking process.
- Cutting Ham – If using a spiral ham it already pre-cut. You may still need to use a knife to finish cutting the layers and to cut into pieces to serve.
Serving Suggestions:
This slow cooker ham recipe is delicious served with your favorite side dishes. We also serve with a side of mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and homemade rolls. See Crockpot Side Dishes for Christmas for more ideas.
We have even used leftover ham with these leftover ham recipes for a great way to use the ham in another meal.
Frequently Asked Questions:
The size of ham will depend on the number of people you are feeding. We usually plan on about ½ pound of ham per person and that usually gives us leftovers.
Cooking time will vary based on your slow cooker and the size of ham you buy. Ham in the slow cooker is usually ready in about 4 hours. Make sure to baste it throughout the cooking process to keep the crock pot Christmas ham from drying out.
Refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat the leftovers in the oven or microwave depending on how much you have left.
Yes, you can freeze crock pot ham. One the ham has cooled to room temperature, place in a freezer bag or an airtight container. It will stay fresh for up to 3 months.
More Easy Ham Recipes:
We love hearing from you. If you make this Crockpot Christmas Ham Recipe, make sure to leave us a comment or a star review.
Crock Pot Christmas Ham
Ingredients
- 1 Spiral Cut Ham 8-10 pounds, fully cooked
- 2 Fresh Rosemary Sprigs
For the Glaze:
- 1/2 cup Butter
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cloves
- 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
Instructions
- Mix together all the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan. Whisk together and heat on low heat until the sugar is fully dissolved (whisking constantly).
- Unwrap the ham and discard any seasoning packets that came with the ham.
- Place the ham flat side down in a slow cooker. Pour the glaze over the top and use a basting brush to make sure that the glaze gets in between the layers of the ham in the crock pot.
- Add the Rosemary springs to the crock pot.
- Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
- Baste the ham from any juice that cooked down to the bottom of the crock pot.
- Carefully remove the ham from the crock pot. Cut the ham and then it’s ready to serve and enjoy!
